Sports news

Jen Segger first in Sinister 7

Squamish ultra athlete Jen Segger added another first place result to her collection this season with a first place finish at the Sinister 7 - a two day, seven stage and 148 km running race in the Rocky Mountains around Crowsnest Pass on July 9 and 10.

Segger finished the race in 19 hours, 48 minutes and 15 seconds, smashing the previous course record by two hours and 26 minutes.

Runners gain 5,250 metres on the course, most of it in the first five stages.

While it may seem like a good time to rest - coming as it did on the heels of wins in the Scorched Sole 50 km and 56 km Ultra XC in Quebec - Segger will ride the 115 km GranFondo Kelowna on July 16. Some 12 days later she will compete in the 11th annual Ultraman Canada race. The first day the participants swim 10 km, the second they bike 421 km and the third they run 84.3 km; that's two marathons back-to-back.

Immediately after Sinister 7 she headed to Badwater in California, one of the hottest and driest places in North America, to help coach an athlete through the 135 mile Badwater Ultramarathon. That event finished on Tuesday with temperatures over 40 C.

After Ultraman, Segger - who has been running on an injured ankle - will take most of August, September and October off ultra distance running, but is looking to compete in either Ironman Cozumel or Ultraman Hawaii in November, followed by the Xterra World Championships in Hawaii and the Honolulu Marathon.

Sea to Sky runners tackle the Knee Knacker

A handful of local runners headed to the start of the Lord Baden Powell trail at Black Mountain on Saturday morning to take part in the 30-mile (48 km) Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run, also knows as the Knee Knacker.

The trail goes from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove, over Black Mountain to Cypress, over Grouse to the Cleveland Dam, and through the Lynn Valley and over the flank of Seymour to the finish. With over 2,500 vertical metres of climbing from start to finish and technical ascents and descents (picture the Grouse Grind for some sections), it's recognized as one of the top 25 hardest races on the continent.

Aaron Heidt, a runner who was based in Squamish until a few years ago, won the race in four hours, 53 minutes and six seconds - well shy of the record of 4:39:52 he set in 2009, but as fast as can be expected with so much snow on the course.

Before Heidt, Whistler's Kevin Titus held the record for five years since 2003.

From Squamish, Mike Heiliger placed fifth in the men's 50 to 59 age category in 6:46.31.

Whistler's Mark Schmidt placed 56th overall and was 21st in the men's under 39 category with a time of 6:48:24.

Cathy Jensen of Squamish was 14th in female under 39 in 7:12:46.

Imre Sorban of Squamish was third in the men's 60-plus group in 7:49:16.

Slo Pitch team hosting poker tournament

The very successful Whistler Soul Crush slo-pitch team is headed to the nationals in Niagara Falls Ontario at the end of July and is looking to raise a little more money to help the team face off against the top Competitive A teams from around the country.

They are hosting a poker fundraiser on July 20 at the Summit Lodge with a $60 buy-in and the grand prize of a 2011-2012 ski pass as well as other prizes for table winners. To buy tickets, contact soulcrush13@hotmail.com.

The team is having another great season. They've played in six tournaments so far this year and 40 games, finishing first three times and third three times.

The team is hosting its own tournament, sponsored by the Longhorn Saloon, on July 23 and July 24.

Skateboarding camp

Legacy Skate Camps is hosting a five-day skateboarding camp for all skill levels, ages 10 to 17, from July 25 to 29 at the new Pemberton skatepark. There will be a chance to learn from top riders, barbecue lunches, a road trip, music, games prizes and more.

If you'd like to learn more skills - ollies, nollies, kickflips, grinds, vert skills, street skills, whatever - this camp is a good place to start.

The cost is $395 plus HST. For more information or registration, contact the Pemberton Community Centre at 604-894-2340, or email lbrown@slrd.bc.ca.